Upstream Oil & Gas: Transforming Produced Water Management Through Innovation and Sustainability
As the global demand for energy continues to rise, the upstream oil and gas sector faces mounting pressure to optimize production while minimizing environmental impact and maintaining regulatory compliance. Central to this challenge is the effective management of produced water, a byproduct of exploration and production activities that can carry salts, minerals, organics, and other contaminants. At Orion Water Solutions, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge technologies, flexible mobile and fixed recycling systems, and integrated service offerings that enable operators to manage produced water more sustainably, economically, and responsibly.
Produced Water Recycling: Driving Efficiency and Reducing Costs
Traditional wastewater disposal methods often entail trucking produced water to distant injection wells, incurring high transportation costs, regulatory scrutiny, and environmental liabilities. Recycling produced water at or near the well site presents a powerful alternative, allowing operators to reuse treated water in fracking or drilling operations. This approach reduces reliance on fresh water, reduces operational expenses, and lowers the industry’s overall carbon footprint. A more recent benefit of produced water recycling is the reduction of seismic activity by reducing the volume of produced water injected into saltwater disposal wells.
Orion leads the market with a fleet of dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems boasting a total capacity exceeding 1 million barrels per day. Among these is our flagship unit in the Permian Basin, capable of processing 200,000 barrels per day—the largest DAF in the region. These systems remove suspended solids, oil and grease, and other contaminants, ensuring the treated water meets stringent quality standards for reuse. By employing high-efficiency DAF units and complementary treatments, we empower operators to transform produced water from a costly disposal challenge into a strategic resource.
On-The-Fly Disinfection: Fast, Effective Bacteria Control
Bacterial contamination can degrade water quality, corrode infrastructure, reduce well productivity, and pose health and safety risks. To combat these issues, Orion offers on-the-fly disinfection services using oxidizing biocides—such as chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), peracetic acid (PAA), hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypochlorite (bleach). These oxidizing agents rapidly target harmful microorganisms, delivering swift and reliable bacteria control.
Compared to non-oxidizing biocides, oxidizing agents are often more cost-effective, safer to handle, and easier to monitor in real-time. By adjusting dosage rates on-the-fly based on real-time readings, operators can maintain optimal bacteria kill without overdosing chemicals. This precision ensures lowest cost, improved well integrity, and reduced environmental impact—key advantages in a competitive and increasingly regulated market.
Pond Management: Preserving Water Quality and Reducing Waste
To support the high flow rates needed during the fracking process, large volumes of fresh and/or produced water must be stored prior to the fracking event. As such, operators frequently rely on water storage pits to hold produced or sourced water for future use. These storage pits can range in size from a few hundred thousand barrels to one million barrels of capacity. However, storage of such large volumes can result in stagnant water that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, biofilms, and other contaminants, jeopardizing quality and adding costs down the line.
Recognizing this challenge, Orion introduced pit management services in 2023, offering operators a proactive way to maintain the health of their produced water pits. Our approach includes regular water testing, real-time monitoring, and targeted treatment with ClO₂, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, ozone and environmentally safe biocides; depending on the application. By treating the entire pit or a portion of it, we return decontaminated water back to the storage pit, preserving it for future reuse. The result: a reliable water quality needed for fracking and a more sustainable resource management strategy.
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Elimination & Control
H2S is known by its characteristic “rotten egg” odor and is often found in oil bearing formations where the produced water contains sulfur reducing bacteria in the presence of anaerobic or low oxygen environments. When sulfur compounds are reduced they can form an H2S acid gas that is corrosive, flammable and potentially lethal at very low concentrations. For those reasons, it is essential to eliminate this acid gas and prevent it from re-occurring.
Orion uses a wholistic approach to solving H2S issues by first evaluating the source and contributing factors and then prescribing a solution that may include oxidation, pH adjustment or chemical treatment as well as engineered controls to prevent the conditions favorable to H2S formation. These solutions can be applied to both gas phase and liquid phase streams which may include oxidation, pH adjustment, aeration or media filtration.
Oil Water Separation
Orion manufactures mobile and fixed high volume Oil Water Separators capable of recovering ~ 99.5% of Oil from Produced Water with a process capacity from 50k to 100k bpd. These separators can be used to supplement central tank battery capacity or can be placed downstream of an overburdened VRT while returning a valuable product to the Oil & Gas operator that might otherwise be lost to disposal or recovered by an SWD or Midstream company as profitable skim oil.
These units have automated controls that allow them to operate remotely and can be configured to operate in conjunction with a VRT, a DAF or standalone. Being designed with a vapor tight shell and roof, these units can be operated with a nitrogen purge to meet hazardous location requirements as found in a refinery or can be coupled with an oilfield vapor recovery unit that recovers fugitive emissions such as methane thereby eliminating the need to flare.
Vapor Recovery Units
Recent regulations have been enacted that will prohibit flaring on “new” Oil & Gas facilities and will require an 80% reduction in Oil & Gas facility emissions by 2038. The primary targets are Methane & VOC’s that contribute to the Green House Gas effect.
These units are typically operated in conjunction with produced water treatment equipment such as enclosed frac tanks, DAF’s and Gun Barrel separators but can be operated on any equipment that can be sealed and made vapor tight. Although the primary intent is to prevent the escape of fugitive emissions, these vapor recovery units can be plumbed into a sale gas line where the fugitive emissions become a valuable recovered hydrocarbon.
Collaboration, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement
At Orion, we understand that optimal water management is a moving target. Regulatory frameworks evolve, technologies advance, and new contaminants emerge. Our team of engineers, field operators, and industry experts remains dedicated to continuous improvement—testing new chemistries, refining treatment steps, and integrating digital monitoring tools that enhance responsiveness.
Real-time data collection, automation, and remote monitoring solutions help us detect performance shifts, troubleshoot issues, and refine processes. This adaptability ensures that our clients remain ahead of the curve, ready to incorporate improvements that further reduce costs, increase efficiency, or enhance sustainability.
Sustainable Growth and Competitive Advantage
In a market driven by price volatility, environmental pressures, and public scrutiny, effective water management can provide a genuine competitive edge. By working with Orion, operators turn what might otherwise be a costly operational burden into an asset that supports their long-term success.
From reducing trucking costs and minimizing fresh water usage to maintaining stable operational uptime and mitigating regulatory risks, our integrated services and technologies create tangible value. As the global energy transition unfolds and stakeholders demand greater corporate responsibility, operators who embrace innovative solutions position themselves not just to survive, but to thrive.
Partnering for a More Resilient Future
The upstream oil and gas sector stands at a crossroads—grappling with growth, complexity, and rising environmental expectations. Partnering with Orion Water Solutions ensures that operators have the tools, expertise, and flexibility to manage produced water effectively and sustainably.
We invite you to Contact Us or explore our About Us page to discover how Orion’s comprehensive approach to produced water recycling, on-the-fly disinfection, and pond management can transform your operations. Together, we can forge a pathway to resilient, profitable, and responsible energy production.